Turkish authorities surprised Tinubu’s minor slip dominated Nigerian media — Abike Dabiri-Erewa
The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has revealed that Turkish officials were astonished that President Bola Tinubu’s brief stumble during his recent visit to Turkey became a major talking point in Nigerian media.
Dabiri-Erewa made the remark on Wednesday, January 28, while responding to a post on X (formerly Twitter) by a user identified as Oguntoye Opeyemi, popularly known as Equityoyo, who questioned why the incident received so much attention back home.
The user pointed out that Turkish media outlets did not treat the moment as news, describing it as a non-issue in Turkey despite widespread coverage in Nigeria.
According to Dabiri-Erewa, officials in Ankara were surprised to learn that Nigerian blogs and television stations had amplified the moment.
She wrote that some Turkish representatives described the reports as “silly and mischievous,” adding that Turkish media were instead focused on what they considered the highly successful outcome of President Tinubu’s visit.
The NiDCOM boss stressed that the host country’s coverage centred on diplomatic achievements and strengthened relations, rather than the President’s brief misstep.
